Headlight-shutter.



W. L. LARGE.

HEADLIGHT sHuTTEH.

""W. L, LARGE.

HEADLIGHTSHUTTER.- APPLICATION FILED IIINE 21.1916'.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

. w. L. LARGE. HEADLIGHT SHUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNI-12|, 191.6.

i Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

3 SHEES-SHEET 3.v

Ammers f UNITEDy sTATEs PATENT` y WILLIAM L. LARGE, OF `NEW YORK, N. Y.'v

HEADLIGHT-SHUTTER.

Toall whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, `WILLIAM L. LARGE, a

l, citizen of the United States, 'and a resident of the city of NewYork, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State.- of

New York, have invented'a new and Improved Headlight-Shutter, of whichthe foly lowing is a'full, clear, and exact description. This inventionrelates to headlights for automobiles or other lvehicles and has par-fments so arranged -and manipulated as to obstruct more or less of thelight according to requirements, the means to manipulate the same beingcontrolled byl electric means within reach of the driver orother-person.

Another object of the invention is to provide controlling means foradjustable headlight 'shutters comprising a small electro'- magnet andmeans whereby repeated impulses given to the armature; through themagnet will operate theshutter elements to close and open the same stepby step.

With the foregoing and-'other objects i'n view the invention consists inthe arrange-v ment and combination vpf parts hereinafter described andclaimed, and while the inven- `tion is not restricted to the exactdetails of construction disclosed or suggested herein,`

'- still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereofreference is had to the accompanaying drawings, in which like referencecharacters designate the same parts in the several views, and in whichFigure 1 is a front elevation of the shutter devices, the framebeing insection on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a I front elevation of actuating andcontrolling means fo'r the shutters, parts being in tion on the line 3-3of Fig. 4; Fig. 4v is a horizontal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;Fig. v5 is a vertical section on the line 5--5 of Fig.l 1; Fig. 6 is avertical sectional detail -on-the line-6,446 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is an endgelevation of the actuating means for the shuttersas viewed from theline 7--7 of Fig.

1 1, full lines showing the shutter devicesv in closed position anddotted lines showing the Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led June 21, 1916. Serial No. 104,946.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

same in half open position; Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 butshowing the full open .position of the shutter evices; Fig. 9 is asectional detail on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3; and- Fig. l0 is a verticaldetail as seen from the line 10-10 of Fig. 4, lookin forwardly.

Referring now more -particu arly to the drawings, 'I show a frame 12 towhich is secured a casing 13 having a lens or Window. 14 carriedthereby, The framev and casing parts indicated may represent either anattachment to an Yordinary lamp casing indicated at C or any newconstruction. They may-represent a complete 'lamp casing, the design ormechanicalL construction of these casing'parts being adapted formodification according to individual' desires or the equipment to whichthe improvement is to be fitted. y'

Secured within the/casing 13 as upon the outer face of the frame member12, I pro'- vide a pair of brackets 15 and 16, shown in this instance asbeing arranged vertically and parallel to each other on opposite sidesof the side opening 17 of the device. A series of shutter elements 18are j ournaled for oscillation around parallel axes in the forwardlyprojecting flanges of the brackets 15 and 16. Each shutter element hasconnected around the axes of the studs 21, see Figs. 5,

7, and 8. From thesegures it will be observed that the axis of eachshutter element lies below the longitudinal center of such element whenit is in its closed position and comparatively close to the rear facethereof. Also each shutter element is adapted for swinging movementthrough approximately ninety degrees from its closed position to itsfull open position, compare Figs. 7 and-'8; I also provide for anadjustment of the shutter elements at an intermediate position, seedotted lines Fig. 7. l

yAs shown in Fig. 1, when the shutter elements are closed acomparatively small amount of light will be projected from the BESTAVAILBQ'LCPQ L leonesa@ 1a,mp"tl'1rouigih the small belowy thelowermostshutter kelement."When the shutter elements are half open,yas*indicatedI t in Eig. '7 in dotted lines, lthe lightwill ,be 5projected. forwardly yand downwa.rdly upon the roadwny'and practicallyall ofthe; glare""` -Mwill be prevented, but as indieatcdoiiiiig. 8,when the elements' are'l'wideopeng;there will be practically noobstruction, t`o"th e -the light is concerned. A bnr extends 'i alongone end of the series of shutter elef am through Studs-2l moet@ @uma-ny,nube warmed up yed downwinsuch so from the clips 19. kThis bnr serves,therefore, to.so'connect the several'shntter ele-y ments that theyY willalways beheld inf par-2.

allel planes.

l the bracket 15 to confine` the bar any suitable-fixed plane, hereinshown as vertical, permitting it, however, to be moved in such plane foractating the shutter elements.r fi:

At any convenient place, as in the lower portion of thel casing 13,provide a bracketV 2G, in or s to which the principal actuating andcontrolling devices are. sccured.v A pinion .27 is connectedA to 'ashaft 28 that is journaled in :1 pair of forwardly projecting vertical,parallel flanges of said bracket. On the outside of the bracket a crankWheel 29 is secured to said shaft, the same carrying a wrist pin 30havingthere on an antifriction roller cooperating ywith .-535 the lowerend of the bar QS in a horizontal and shaft 28 are designed slot 32.Thebody of the-roller 31 npproximatelylille the spacebetween the upperand lower edges of thefslot, whereby there is practicallyI no lostmotion.y The pinion 27 to be given e step by step rotation in a constantdirection and thereby the bar .23 is actuatedinto and held in' threedifferent vpositifins; as indicated 'corresponding to -tlie' open,closed,`

1-45 and] mid positions of the shutter elements.

Said positions ofthe benare determined;` therefore, by the relative*positions of the xed pivots 21 and the bar pivots 24.7* Any suitablemeans may be provided' to operate' `il the: pinion andI shaft I andpositively .hold the same' from movement when desirech Themeansrp'rovided hereinscrve to cause the rotation of thepinion and shaftin fourl sucy essive fste'ps, .ninety degrees of movementu` being.Vprovided for eachstep, as 'seen Jin Figs: 7 and 8." f With the wristspint yand 'roller revolving around the axis of the shafty 28H1 thedirection of thearrows, the'bar 23 will'be given vertical'reeiprocationIn Fig. 7'; the bnr is etits uppermost positionand likewisc`theppiyotpins .liare nt, their highest? posi'tion'and the. shutter elements, areclosed'. the nextstepwof rotntionf the shaftfQS; the bar will lowered tothe barfagain,4 so that `it willi occupy theposx# Guide meros 25 is,applied to "and athen at' the next :guartrrevolution o the roller 31,theba r2 svillbeat its lowerg most.positionlwithythe shiitter elements(iride open; At the'next quarter turn, the 7oand.thelshutterfeleneiits"will be lmglfmp'en i "roller Agliding towardthe frontfendfof the slot and moving upwardlyvll lift the 'tionysliowndn dotted linesin Fig. #7, with the shutter elementscagain"heli-way open.

the wheel 29A rotated in a single direction e step `by step,fthcroller'nvill be driven'to forward, and renrwarcly movement as will be"inKfidenta-l 'to' rthe swinging'uof the ,pivots.:2-c;,

around vtheir respective centers2l.-v I; will uw describe the means ipwvae. 1- foractuating,theY pinion 2T and yparts coli-85 neeted thereto.lIn one end ofthe bracket 26 or anyother suitable fixed `sn-ppo1t, is mielectronlugnet 33 having `an armature 34,1 pivetegl at 35 along itsfront edge in a bracket extension 26. By means ofn push,` 90 button 36and buttery 37 or other suitable sourre ot energy, the electroiunguetmuyblenergized for the purpose of wringing theA :u-nmture upwardly arounditsl pivot, the" armature dropping' again by grnvity when 95 the magnetis denergzed in a well known manner. A blade 38y is connected Ato thearmature and projects/rearwardly beneath a plunger 39 -niounted yforvertical movement in guides 40 .fixed'tothe bracket 2G.

M341 I show a master gear mounted on a shaft 42 below and parallel tothepinion shaft 2b' and journaled Asimilarly in the bracket 26.This/master gearis in the natui'eof a'coxn'- bined spur gear andlanterny pinion having teetlrll meshing with the teeth (if the pinionand-indicated as having twice the number. This member also has n. seriesof b'irsvlleindioited nsr eight in' number and P' t f l t arrangedcnfcumferentlally around and ,parzillel lIto' the s`liaft42i-` Tofgive aquarter rotation to the pinion,2,-therefore, itlis' necessary tonc'tuatethe master gear through-` oneieighth of a rotation orthrouplhj-'the space of one bar `:44 `liwcat'cs nflock 115" haring apointprojecting normally .between n two adjacent bars .44, seeFigQs-"lhisiloekw comprises n plate pivote ratr ('r rupon'*gr/'pore tionoitliejsbra'eket2,5, tensionjspring' Lllserves to .hold theypoint n elock inits 1120 lockingw vposition indicated above. ,f One n endet-.thespringis'secured rto n fixed' point i at :48 on ,the bracketfndjaent theelectro- 1nzvgnetnnd the other 'endfoffthe sprng'is eonnected to? afpinfll); projecting through '12H5 'zu short.urefshapedV slot f(` rmedin^the t upper y,portion of the lockiiplute. :"S'aid pin l 49deconnectedtoapawhl pivoted nt' upon the .lock plate; Theslot50, like aufother slot 53, isweoncntriewith the pivot 52. 130'- u l n s and the pawl51 carnes another pm 54 which projects at one end into or through theslot r53 and at its other end rearwardlyftfor cooperation with thecam-shaped end of a lever 55 'pivoted' at 56 on thel frame 12beyond-fthe electromagnet. The' lever 55 is `connected by a horizontalpini 57 with the magnet' operated plunger 39. Asshown in Figs. 1 `and10, the cam end of the lever 55 lies below the pin 54, while the spring47 serves to hold the lock in locking position and also-the pin y54against the end of the lever and substantially between the lever and thepivot lVhen, thereforaan impulse is given to the electromagnet and theAplunger 39 is lifted, the cam end of the lever 55 wiping against thepin 54, will throw the 'upper portion of the lock plate in a directionaway from the lever and thereby the point of the lock will be withdrawnfrom. its normal holding position. When them-agnet is denergized, thelever 55 will drop to normal position -under the `force of gravityconnected to another lever60 pivoted on a .class l n nected by a pin 62to another lever 63 plv-- tation ofthe master gear.

movement 1s imparted to the master gear, the

fixed pivot 61. This is a lever of the first class, while the lever isofthe third The other end of the lever is conoted at 64. 4The remote endof this lever 63 is forked and coperates with a pin 65 se cured to avertical slidable shoe 66 having -a pivoted tooth 67'piyoted` at 68 landcooperating' with a leaf spring 69, seeFigI 5. The shoe 66 is in thenature of a rack having a single tooth, said tooth lying normallydirectly below the next bar 44 to be engaged'. At the same time theplunger 39 moves upwardly to withdraw the lock, the levers 60 and 63will be actuated around their respective pivots and the shoe 66 and itstooth 67 will be elevated far enough to move the bar 44 engaged therebyto the next position or through one-eighth of a rotation of' the mastergear 41. In other words, as the lock moves downwardly from engagementwith the bars 44, the tooth 67 begins to move upwardly, causing thepartial ro- As soon as this lock snapsV i into locking position and whenthe shoe 66 is brought lback to. its normal position by the combinedforce of gravity and thespring 58, the point of the tooth 67 will glideidly over the next bar to be engaged.

From the yforegoing specific description of the mechanism illustrated,the operation of the device may be briefly summarized as follows: Ateach impulse given to the electromagnet by closing the 4circuittherethrough, the master gear will be rotated through one-eighth of aturn and will be locked at the end of such partial rotation by the pointof the lock 45, the spring 47 acting to throw thelockin such-positionirrespective of the position of the magnet operated levers. Theshutters, for example, being closed and it is desired to project a.moderate amount of light forwardly and downwardly upon the roadway, asingle impulse given to the magnet will effect this result, and if theshutter elements are to be drawn wide open, another impulse given in thesame manner will'cause the same. In other Words, to adjust the shutterelements to any desired position from whatever position they may `happento occupy at any time, all that is required is for one or a few quickmovements of the operators finger to be given to the button or switch 36and the desired result will be accomplished.. The operating parts occupya very slight amount of space within the casing 13, and hence are eitherinvisible or inconspicuous. The operation is simple, easy, and positiveand the desired control of the intensity ofthe light is enjoyed.

I claim:

1. Thel herein described headlight comprising ya plurality of shutterelements mounted for oscillation around parallel axes, a bar p ivotallyconnecting all of said elements and serving to hold them in parallel vplanes, rotary means connected to said bar 'to' impart to it positivelyreciprocating movements in opposite directions, and means to actuatesaid rotary means intermittently step by'step always in the samedirection.

2. In a dimmer for headlights, the combination of a pivoted shutterelement, a bar connected to the shutter element eccentrically of itspivot, a rotary member having pin and slot connection with the bar, andmeans to rotate they rotary element in a continual step by step mannerin the same direction `to reciprocate the bar in opposite directions andcause to and fro oscillation of the shutter elements, each oscillationcomprising a plurality of steps in the same direction.

3. In a headlight dimmer, the combination of a frame, a pair of bracketssecured to opposite sides of the frame, a yseries of shutter elementshaving pivotal connection with said brackets, a bar connecting all ofsaid elements and serving to hold them in parallel planes in eitheropen, closed or intermediate positions, a rotary member connected tosaid bar, meansto give the rotary velement a step by step continualmovement of rotation vin the same direction for changl ing the positionof the shutter elements from one step to another in either direction,and

` the bar and shutter elements positively after BEST AVAILABLE coiD` .4.i .l 1,204,588 A locking means serving automatically to hold eachmovement thereof.

4. In a headlight shutter, the combination with a series of shutterelements mounted for oscillation around parallel axes and a rigid barconnected to all of said elements to control their position, said barhaving a slot perpendicular to the line of pivot connections with saidelements, of a rotary member having a crank connection in said slotwiththe bar, and'means to rotate the rotary member continually ystep bystep in the same direction whereby the crank connection with the barwill positively cause the bar t reciprocate in opposite'directions toboth open and close the shutter elements.

5. The combination with a series of shuttei' elements mounted tooscillate around parallel axes and arigid baihaving similar pivotalconnection with all of said elen'nts, f

said ba'r having aslot perpendicular tothe line of pivotal connections,of means to positively reciprocate the bar in opposite directions andoscillate the shutter elements comprising a rotary member havin a crankconnection with said slot, each o? said oscilla- 'tions comprising aplurality of steps, elecv tromagnet means to actuate the rotary memberstep by step in acontinual direction, and an automatic lock coperatingwith the rotary member toholdit in fixed posi- ,i I

tion after eachstep of its movement.

' 6L The combination with an oscillating shutter element, ofkactuatingand controllingineantszf'or said element comprising a rotary member, a`wristpiii connectedto the rotar member, a reciprocating link connectiontween the ivristpin and the shutter element, said link having a slot'for said wrist pin perpendicular tothe'direction of reciprocation of thelink, an electromagnet having a movable armature, yand. devices adaptedto be actuated step by' step by ref peated impulses givenfto the magnetto cause the rotary member t0 be rotated step by step in a'continualdircti'l.

7 The combinationv with an oscillatin pivoted shutter element, alnkconnecte thereto and means to actuate 'said link'to oscillatJ theshutter element t0 and fro around its axis,' of means to 'control saidactuating means including an electroinngnet having a movable armature, aplurality of levers o rated directly from s'aid armature,

connections between one of said levers and the actuating member' to ocrate it and the shutter, and ineans actuate bythe other of said leversto positively lock lthe actuatingmeans andI shutter element frommovement after being actuated. v y WLLIAM L. IJARGE.

nof

